While glass fiber reinforced ceramic coatings can be formed on substrates which can withstand the firing temperatures of the glass powders used in the coatings, these processes do not allow coating temperature sensitive organic or inorganic substrates which cannot be fired. Problems exist with forming these coatings on certain metals. With the advent of advanced composites and resins, there is a greater need to develop a process to allow protection of these sensitive inorganic and organic substrates with glass protective coatings. The present invention suggests one method for forming freestanding net-shaped, glass fiber reinforced ceramics useful as protective coatings for the types of substrates.